Israeli NGOs warn international community it will be complicit if Israel forcibly transfers the population of Northern Gaza
Human rights NGOs based in Israel today called on the international community to take action now to prevent Israel from forcibly transferring hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who have remained in the Northern Gaza Strip outside of the area, including by denying entry of essential humanitarian aid and fuel. The Israeli ceasefire coalition, the groups Gisha, B’Tselem, PHR-I and Yesh Din, said that there are alarming signs that the Israeli military is beginning to quietly implement the Generals’ Plan, also referred to as the Eiland Plan, which calls for complete forcible transfer of the civilians of the northern Gaza Strip through tightening the siege on the area and starving the population.
The NGOs reiterated the warning that states have an obligation to prevent the crimes of starvation and forcible transfer, and that if the continuation of the “wait and see” approach will enable Israel to liquidate northern Gaza, they will be complicit. All states and relevant international institutions should act now and use all tools at their disposal - legal, diplomatic and economic - to prevent this.
Since October 7th, Israel has instated a systemic policy of abusing and torturing thousands of Palestinians in its custody.
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In “Welcome to Hell”, B’Tselem’s new report issued today, dozens of testimonies reveal a reality of harsh, arbitrary daily violence, sexual assault, humiliation, starvation, inhumane hygiene conditions, sleep deprivation, denial of medical care, and more.
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The testimonies present the outcome of a speedy process in which the Israeli Government turned Israeli prison facilities into a network of camps dedicated mainly to abusing Palestinians.
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No more excuses. The international community must force Israel to end the occupation.
Responding to the ICJ’s advisory opinion, B'Tselem says:
Over the past 57 years, Israel has demonstrated it has no intention of ending the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem...
...but the opposite, working to further entrench it and annex the territory (whether formally or in practice). Military occupation is one element of Israel’s apartheid regime.
The international community has evaded its duty to protect the Palestinians using various excuses, including the supposed temporary nature of the occupation and the claim that a diplomatic solution designed to resolve the conflict is being negotiated.
The war must stop
The international community is clearly signaling to Israel that the war in Gaza has crossed every line.
Following close upon the ICC prosecutor's request for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, the International Court of Justice is ordering Israel to immediately halt all military actions in the area of Rafah that will harm civilians.
Israel has proven that the only way it operates in Gaza entails lethal outcomes for civilians and destruction of living conditions. Therefore, it must immediately halt its military activity there, which will inevitably harm more victims.
*המלחמה חייבת להיפסק*
הקהילה הבינלאומית מסמנת לישראל בבירור שהמלחמה בעזה חצתה את כל הקווים האדומים.
בסופו של שבוע שבו ביקש התובע בבית הדין הפלילי הבינלאומי להוציא צווי מעצר נגד בכירים ישראלים, בית הדין הבינלאומי לצדק מורה לישראל להפסיק באופן מיידי כל פעולות לחימה במרחב רפיח שיביאו לפגיעה באזרחים.
ישראל הוכיחה כבר בעבר שהדרך היחידה שבה היא פועלת ברצועת עזה כרוכה בפגיעה קטלנית באזרחים ובהרס של תנאי החיים. לכן עליה לחדול מיד מהלחימה שתביא בהכרח לעוד קורבנות.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s request to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on suspicion of committing war crimes in Gaza signals Israel’s rapid decline into a moral abyss.
The international community is signaling to Israel that it can no longer maintain its policy of violence, killing and destruction without accountability.
Likewise, the request for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders for the crimes of October 7 is important and draws a red line where harm to civilians is concerned.
As described in B'Tselem's 2021 position paper, the Israeli apartheid regime implements policies to promote the principle of Jewish supremacy on both sides of the Green Line, in the occupied West Bank, and inside Israel's sovereign territory. Link & more video below. @rcuvnegev
Yesterday's demolition took part inside Israel proper. The 300 or so people who lost their homes are Israeli citizens.
These videos demonstrate the massive scale of policing employed by the Israeli authorities to perpetrate this demolition. @ntiyft
From B'Tselem's position paper:
Israel has used this land to build hundreds of communities for Jewish citizens – yet not a single one for Palestinian citizens. The exception is a handful of towns and villages built to concentrate the Bedouin population... btselem.org/publications/f…